Muslims demand end to liberalism

Around 1,000 conservative Muslims marched through Jakarta on Friday to demand an end to liberal policies which they say go against the teachings of Islam.
Calling themselves the Muslim Forum, they made their way from Hotel Indonesia square to the National Monument, shouting anti-liberal slogans and calling for the banning of the Ahmadiyah sect.
â€śThis is a warning to all Indonesians about the dangers of liberalism,â€ť Ustadz Awit Masyhuri, a protest coordinator said.
Islam rejects liberalism which has seduced the government which can be seen its economic policies, politics and attitudes toward religion, he added.
â€śLiberalism is our enemy since it is against the spirit of Islam. It has caused difficulties, particularly in the economy and people are getting poorer,â€ť the Muslim cleric said.
Capitalist greed, foreign influence over national life, and the governmentâ€™s failure to protect the poor are other examples, he said.
Liberalism has caused moral decadence, such as corruption, in which many officials are involved in robbing the state to further their own interests, he continued.
Meanwhile, the head of the Islamic Defenders Front Habib Rizieq Shihab used the rally to accuse the Liberal Islam Network (JIL) of undermining Islam through its pluralistic views.
â€śThey are wrong. They use liberalism to interpret [Islamic] teachings,â€ť he said.
Another speaker at the rally, Ustadz Bernard Abdul Jabbar, said Islam accepts pluralism and religious diversity, but strongly rejects any efforts by pluralists that erode the characteristic of every religion.